Carer’s Allowance

Baroness Sherlock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people claimed Carer's Allowance in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15 to date.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people in receipt of Carer's Allowance also received Working Tax Credit in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15 to date.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of people who were previously in receipt of Carer's Allowance and work 16 hours per week but lost that entitlement as a result of the increase in the National Minimum Wage from 1 October 2014.

Lord Freud: The number of people who are entitled to receive Carer’s Allowance (CA), including those who receive no actual payment, for 2013/14 is published and available at: http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/tabtool.html
	The figure for 2013/14 is 1,071,220. Information for 2014/15 is not yet available.
	Source:
	DWP 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (Caseload)
	Notes:
	1. The figure is rounded to the nearest 10 and is an average of the four quarters, May 2013 to February 2014 and this is the latest available information.
	The information requested, for the number of Carer's Allowance recipients also receiving Working Tax Credit and also those who may have lost entitlement to Carer’s Allowance due to the increase in the National Minimum Wage, is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Combined Cadet Force

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the change in funding arrangements for Combined Cadet Force units in independent schools will await the outcome of the review into the Ministry of Defence's way ahead over Cadet Forces by Major-General Tom Beckett.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many independent schools have responded to Major-General Crackett's letter about change in funding arrangements; and how many have said they expect their Combined Cadet Force units to have to close.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Government places great value on the benefits delivered by membership of Combined Cadet Forces (CCFs), which is why we are expanding the number of CCFs in state schools through the Cadet Expansion Programme, and why we have consulted Heads of schools with CCF units to work out a sustainable funding model for CCFs for the future. The consultation period closed recently and no decisions on future CCF funding arrangements have yet been taken.
	In his letter earlier this year consulting with Heads of CCF schools, Major General Crackett made it clear that there would be no changes to the funding of existing CCF units before September 2015. We are now in the process of considering the feedback received during the consultation process.
	162 independent schools responded to Major General Crackett's letter about CCF funding arrangements. We will provide a summary of the consultation responses when we announce how we intend to proceed.

Crime: Statistics

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to issue guidance to police forces in England and Wales to the effect that, when publishing statistics or issuing any statement referring to persons being from “the Asian Community”, use should instead be made of the official 18-point classifications from the National Census.

Lord Bates: As this is a matter for local Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables, the Home Office has no plans to issue guidance to police forces in England and Wales on using 18-point classifications from the National Census when publishing statistics or issuing any statement referring to persons being from “the Asian Community”.

Dementia

Baroness Crawley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to integrate social care systems in pursuit of good outcomes for those diagnosed with dementia.

Earl Howe: Access to a timely and seamless package of care and support is essential for people with dementia and their carers to live well with the condition. On 28 February 2014 the Secretary of State published his ambition that everyone diagnosed with dementia should receive high quality post-diagnosis support, including seamless care, with health and social care professionals working together to provide the best care and support.
	The Better Care Fund is the biggest ever financial incentive for the integration of health and social care. Central Government requires at least £3.8 billion of health and social care budgets to be pooled via the Better Care Fund, with local areas choosing to add another £1.5 billion to pooled budgets across the country. From April 2015, councils and the National Health Service will be able to use the Better Care Fund to work with each other and the voluntary sector. Local areas can use some of this to improve outcomes for people with dementia, such as for example providing access to dementia advisors, reminiscence services and counselling. More generally, the Better Care Fund plans set out areas’ schemes for delivering integrated health and social care, many of which will benefit people diagnosed with dementia.

Dementia

Baroness Crawley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to ensure that a person diagnosed with dementia, and their family, has a clear path to assistance, support and advice.

Earl Howe: On 28 February the Secretary of State set out his ambition for high quality, compassionate care and support for people with dementia and their carers following a diagnosis of dementia. Our ambition is for people with dementia and their carers to have:
	- a timely assessment of their condition and a diagnosis so that they can access the right care at the right time;- someone who can help and advise, such as a Dementia Advisor, who will support them and their carer to access the services they need;- a plan of care that will be tailored to meet their specific needs;- support so that they can remain independent for as long as possible after diagnosis;- access to high-quality personalised information that will help them understand and manage their condition;- access to services such as reminiscence and counselling, that will support them and their carer to live well with dementia;- co-ordinated care towards and at the end of life;- timely access to support for carers; and- seamless care, with health and social care professionals working together to provide the best care and support.

EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Lord Steel of Aikwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Scottish Fisheries Minister, Richard Lochhead MSP, was invited to attend the European Council on Fishing on 10 November; and if not, why not.

Lord De Mauley: Scottish Government ministers, as well as those of the other Devolved Administrations, are regularly part of the UK delegation to meetings of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council. They work closely with Defra ministers to agree shared UK positions and UK ministerial statements.
	Mr Lochhead attended the Council meeting on 10 November as part of the UK delegation. He also attended the Secretary of State’s introductory meeting with new Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella.

EU Budget: Contributions

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were their estimates of the United Kingdom contribution to the European Union budget in 2014–15 prior to the communication of the increased contribution of £1.7 billion now sought by the European Commission.

Lord Deighton: The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecast of March 2014, estimates the UK’s net contribution to the EU Budget for 2014-15 as £9.1 billion.
	Full information can be found in Table 2.21 of the OBR’s “economic and fiscal outlook supplementary fiscal table”[1].
	[1]
	http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook- march-2014/.

EU Budget: Contributions

Lord Williamson of Horton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total amount of the rebate on the United Kingdom's contribution to the European Union budget from the commencement of that rebate until the year in which the United Kingdom Government agreed its reduction; and what was the total amount of the rebate from that year to date.

Lord Deighton: The value of the UK rebate included in EU Budgets over the period 1985 to 2007 was £54 billion. The value of the rebate over the period 2008 to 2013 was £23 billion.
	This information has been published by HM Treasury in reports entitled European Union Finances (previously called European Community Financessince) since 1980 and are available in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Reports dating back to 2000 (with data back to 1995) are also available on the Government’s website [1].
	[1]
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-annual- statement and
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130128125455/http:/www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/int_eu_statefraud.htm
	.

EU External Trade: USA

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the investor-state dispute settlement system in the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will not be dealt with by United Kingdom courts.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: The Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership (TTIP) will be an agreement with 28 EU countries and the US. In the case of the UK, it has over 90 existing bilateral investment treaties with other countries across the world, UK domestic courts and the UK legal system remain the main route for resolving the overwhelming majority of disputes that foreign investors may have with the actions of the UK Government. Investment protection provisions and Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses in trade and investment treaties are nonetheless valued by investors for providing certainty and protection from discriminatory action by host governments. Well-formulated investment protection and ISDS provisions have the potential to encourage investment while placing effective safeguards on the Government’s ability to regulate in the public interest. The Government believes it is in the UK's interest to create modern investment provisions in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) to both encourage investment and create a potential model for future trade and investment agreements with other countries. As such, we would want the ISDS mechanism in TTIP to be in line with best practice, including the new The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Rules on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration.

Eurostar

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan take to prevent the disposal for scrap of any of the North of London Eurostars.

Lord Deighton: Eurostar is run on a commercial basis and is free to make its own decisions about how it operates. This includes decisions around the acquisition and disposal of its rolling stock. We are therefore unable to comment on Eurostar’s specific plans for the North of London trains.

Health Services: Older People

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action are they taking to deal with the effects of an ageing population.

Earl Howe: The Government published a one year update report on 30 June 2014 in response to the House of Lords Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change Report in 2013 entitled Ready For Ageing?
	This update report is a comprehensive guide to the work the Government is doing to start to tackle current and future issues on ageing. It reflects a number of reforms that have either been established or are underway in the last year that will make a real difference to older people now and to future generations. The report is attached and can be found at:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325095/41526_2902508_Cm_8872_Prepare_for_Ageing_ accessible.pdf

Housing Revenue Accounts: Tower Hamlets

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 14 October (HL1902), whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of the correspondence encouraging the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to revise its bid for funding from the Local Growth Fund Housing Revenue Account Borrowing Programme 2015–17.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: I have today placed copies of the relevant letters - a letter from the Minister for Housing to all stock holding local authorities dated 7 July 2014; a letter from officials to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets also dated 7 July 2014; and a second letter to the authority dated 5 August 2014 - in the Library of the House.
	The Greater London Authority, which has an operational involvement in the programme in London, also had discussions with the Council, but such correspondence/information is not held by my Department.
	This Answer included the following attachments
	Minister of Housing 7 July 2014 (PQ428929 HL2302 - Letter1_Redacted.pdf)
	London Borough of Tower Hamlets 7 July 2014 (PQ428929 HL2302 - Letter2_Redacted.pdf)
	London Borough of Tower Hamlets 5 August 2014 (PQ428929 HL2302 - Letter3_Redacted.pdf)

Immigration: Middle East

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to offer additional places in the United Kingdom for those who have already left Syria and Iraq and are seeking medical treatment, to study, or to be reunited with their family.

Lord Bates: The Government is deeply concerned about the situations in Syria and Iraq, and is taking action to help those displaced by these crises. The Government believes that humanitarian aid and actively seeking to end the conflicts are the most effective ways for the UK to help the majority of those displaced. To date we have committed £700 million to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and £23 million in aid to Iraq, helping to support hundred of thousands of people. We also support efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict, and we are working with the Iraqi government and the international community to tackle the threat posed by ISIL and promote an inclusive, sovereign and democratic Iraq which will protect all Iraqi citizens.
	To complement our humanitarian aid, we operate the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme to relocate the most vulnerable displaced Syrians who cannot be supported effectively long term in the region to the UK. The scheme prioritises help for those in need of medical care, as well as women and children at risk and survivors of torture and violence. Beneficiaries are granted five years’ Humanitarian Protection with all the rights and benefits that go with that status, including access to public funds, access to the labour market and the possibility of family reunion. We also operate an immigration concession for Syrian nationals who are already legally present in the UK to enable them to extend their stay or switch immigration category without leaving the UK.
	Under our normal asylum rules, the Government also carefully considers each asylum application lodged in the UK, including those made by Syrian and Iraqi nationals, on its individual merits, to ensure we grant protection to those who genuinely need it. Those recognised as refugees are granted five years’ leave, with rights to family reunion and access to free medical care. The Government believes that this approach is the best way to help Syrian and Iraqi nationals who have left their countries, and we therefore have no current plans to extend these measures.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any plans to allow air to air transfer of fuel between F35B aircraft in the United Kingdom inventory.

Lord Astor of Hever: The UK has no plans to conduct air to air refuelling between F-35B aircraft.

Kosovo

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Kosovo about reported attacks on people of
	Serbian origin in that country; what was the result of any such representations; what assessment they have made of the impact of any such attacks on those seeking to return after the war; and whether they have raised the reported attacks in Klina, Kosovo-Polje and Dakovice with the authorities there.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK regularly raises incidents of ethnically motivated violence with the Government of Kosovo and local authorities. In addition, the UK along with our international partners continues to call for more action at the central and grass roots level to tackle issues from the past that impede better inter-ethnic relations.
	In a written statement to the media, Prime Minister Thaci condemned the recent attacks against Kosovo-Serbs and other ethnic-minorities. Other representatives from both the government and opposition condemned the attacks, which were seen locally as being linked to the recent incident at the football match between Serbia and Albania. There has also been condemnation of these attacks by some of the mayors in the areas where these incidents took place.
	The recent spike in attacks against Kosovo-Serbs and their property will have a short term impact on those seeking to return, and some returnees may wish to leave. But such security incidents, specifically those that are ethnically motivated, are not common. In this case, they seem to be connected to the fallout from the recent football match rather than relating to inter-ethnic disputes within a community and should be seen in the broader context of recent efforts. The UK is the biggest bilateral donor supporting the return of Kosovo-Serbs to Kosovo. In addition to helping the returnees, British Government funding also contributes towards community projects that help smooth the returns process in difficult return environments. Other representations by the UK have resulted in increased recruitment of ethnic minorities into the Kosovo Police to further build trust in Kosovo institutions.

M1

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated cost to the British economy of roadworks on the M1 during 2014–15.

Baroness Kramer: The total estimated congestion cost for journeys through all road works on the M1 was £55 million for the five month period April to August 2014 (the most recent data available for financial year 2014/15).

Rights of Accused

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the prescribed legal limits to the use of the power to conduct electronic surveillance of conversations between lawyers and their clients; and what are the safeguards against the misuse of those powers.

Lord Bates: Interception of communications and intrusive surveillance can only be carried out by a very limited number of authorities in the interest of national security, for the prevention or detection of serious crime or to safeguard the economic well-being of the United Kingdom where it relates to national security.
	Warrants to intercept communications must be authorised by a Secretary of State. Where there is a possibility that privileged communications may be intercepted, the statutory code of practice on the interception of communications sets out additional safeguards. Any warrant application which is likely to result in legally privileged communications being obtained should include, in addition to an explanation of why it is necessary, an assessment of how likely it is that communications which are subject to legal privilege are to be intercepted. It should also state whether the purpose (or one of the purposes) of the interception is to obtain privileged communications. The Secretary of State is able to impose additional conditions if he or she considers it necessary, such as regular reporting to allow them to exercise discretion over whether the interception should continue to be authorised.
	The safeguards for intrusive surveillance are the same as those for interception. The case must include an assessment of how likely it is that legally privileged material may be obtained, the authorising officer or Surveillance Commissioner is able to impose additional conditions if he or she consider it necessary, such as additional reporting.
	In cases where legally privileged communications have been obtained, the matter should be reported to the Interception of Communications Commissioner or Surveillance Commissioner (for intrusive surveillance) and the material made available for inspection if requested. The Commissioners can and do inspect this material.

Sahel

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current state of border control and management in the Western Sahel-Sahara region of Africa.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The long distances, challenging geography and harsh climatic
	conditions mean that policing cross-border activity in the Western Sahel-Sahara is a significant challenge for the states of the region. Whilst taking into account the historic patterns of trade across this region, we are working with our partners, including the EU through Common Security and Defence Policy Missions, with local communities and with regional organisations, to develop plans to build states’ capacity to manage their borders effectively.

UK Membership of EU

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conclusions of Where's the Insider Advantage? A review of the evidence that withdrawal from the EU would not harm the UK’s exports or foreign investment in the UK, published by Civitas.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: The Civitas report aims to identify whether there are advantages to the UK of being an ‘EU insider’ in terms of setting the rules of the Single Market. The report focuses on growth in UK exports as the measure of this benefit. It does not account for the broader positive impacts of the Single Market on the UK, including enhanced competition and innovation at home.
	The report refers to Switzerland as an example of a county that has negotiated Free trade Agreements (FTA) as a non-member of the EU. The impact on the UK’s exports of withdrawal from the EU would depend on whether the UK could negotiate similar trade agreements’ to those it currently has as a member of the EU. It would also depend on the FTA that it could negotiate with the EU itself. Switzerland has to pay to be part of the EU single market and to negotiate sector by sector, but does not determine the rules.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is any United Kingdom legislation that applies to the use of drones of less than 20 kilograms.

Baroness Kramer: Yes. The use of small unmanned aircraft of less than 20 kilograms is specifically covered by two articles within the Air Navigation Order, which legislate for the ‘general’ flying aspects and the flight of those equipped for surveillance. As well as these specific articles, a more general article which prevents a person ‘causing or permitting an aircraft to endanger the safety of any person or property’ also remains applicable.

Utilities: Road Works

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the way in which utility companies work with local authorities to minimise disruption to residents as a result of works they have to undertake.

Baroness Kramer: The Government has made no specific assessment, although under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, the street authority has a duty to co-ordinate all works on its road network in order to minimise inconvenience to road users, and utilities have a duty to co-operate with them in doing that. Utility companies have statutory powers to carry
	out works to maintain or install their apparatus in the street to provide the services that we all rely on. The Government works closely with both local highway authorities and utilities to help them deliver those duties effectively.
	The Traffic Management Act 2004 also places a ‘Network Management Duty' on authorities to keep traffic moving as far as practical and enables authorities to introduce permit schemes for street works to help them to do that. In 2012, the Government increased the penalties that local authorities can impose where street works by utility companies overrun their agreed duration, up to a maximum charge of £10,000 a day. We are also carrying out a trial of ‘Lane Rental’ on Transport for London and Kent County Council’s networks. This allows authorities to charge utilities to work on the busiest roads at the busiest times. We are currently looking at the impacts of those schemes.